It may not be an obvious theme in my blog posts so far, but I have an interest in wellness – meditation, yoga, general exercising and basically anything that promotes health and well-being. Relaxation would definitely be a part of that, and as I sit here beside a beautiful lake in upstate N.Y., enjoying the end of a week-long vacation, it seems that relaxation is the appropriate topic for this particular posting.

First, before I go much further, let me give you a sense of just how relaxed I am right now. This is my view at the moment:

My relaxing view of the lake

Yeah, it’s completely true. I’m just feet from the water, and water always does something amazing to relax and calm my spirit. I feel incredibly lucky that my great grandfather chose to buy a tiny cottage on one of the Finger Lakes back in 1910, and this tiny cottage has been passed down on my mom’s side of the family from 1910 until the present day. And today the present owner’s daughter (i.e., me) is thoroughly enjoying her great grandfather’s cottage and its view. (Shameless plug! You can learn more about this cottage and consider renting it at www.ayokacottage.com).

Now back to the topic – relaxation. It’s obviously easy to relax when on vacation and sitting by a beautiful lake, but as my vacation draws to a close, I’m wondering how to stay relaxed, peaceful and calm when I return to my busy life. The chaotic hub bub of Washington, D.C. – my home area – is not nearly as tranquil as the calm waters before me now. So how do I maintain a sense of peace when life around me is quite hectic?

Here are just a few things that I try to do in my daily life, and with my vacation soon drawing to a close, I’m hoping that writing out this list will be a good reminder to myself to do these things when I return home. As I list them, I will also point out my challenges in sticking to them.

• Meditation – I find it relaxing to meditate on my own or listen to a guided meditation by Deepak Chopra. When I’m really on top of things, I get up in the morning, meditate for 15 minutes and then go about my day. This quiet 15 minutes really does make me feel more relaxed all day long. However, I frequently run into the problem of oversleeping or just simply not allowing enough time in the morning for my 15 minutes of peace, and then it’s just easier to skip the meditation altogether.
• Walking and stretching breaks at work – I work at a desk, staring at a computer all day. I have to remind myself to get up and move regularly, or I end up with computer-screen headaches. When it is nice out, I like to go for a relaxing walk, but when life is busy in the office, I sadly skip the walk or the stretch break and power through to get my work done. I know that relaxation breaks are supposed to make us more productive, but sometimes I really struggle with setting aside the time for a break.
• Eating better – This one seems like an obvious part of taking care of yourself and feeling better and more relaxed, and honestly, it is. But I struggle with it constantly. I usually work late, so picking up a microwaveable meal sometimes seems like the best, quickest solution – although definitely not the healthiest option. I’m also not the greatest cook – I’ve burned nearly everything, including tomato soup and scrambled eggs. But I do keep trying! And hopefully, as I continue to try, I’ll get better at cooking and, as a result, I will be eating better, too.

It seems that all three of these relaxation/wellness tips go array for me when things get busy. So, here I am at the end of a relaxing vacation, asking myself yet again – how do I maintain this relaxed, peaceful feeling when the vacation is over?

My answer is to keep trying and to keep reminding myself to build time into my life for me and what I need, but I’m also always open to learning from others! So feel free to comment below.

I suspect I will add blogging about well-being to my list of relaxation/wellness techniques as I continue in the blogging world. It may not always be as relaxing as today, sitting beside a beautiful lake, but since writing is my passion, it will always be somewhat relaxing to me no matter where I am.